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God does not call us to be sinless to act. We could never take apon ourselves the responsibility to raise children if this were the case. None-the-less, we recieve Grace through sacraments which we are unable to receive without sin. In marriage, the eucharist, sexuality,defending the faith etc.... God blesses us in spite of our brokeness. Does it not occur to you that when we aren't angry at certain things, we sin.

yours in peace,

Of course, given the incredibly large number of people on the earth today, one could also say:

Never before on this earth has there been such a huge number of people who freely follow Christ.

You are correct -- we do not have to be sinless to act -- but if the fathers are correct in their assertions that the presence of anger chases away the Holy Spirit (see St John of the Ladder's words on anger) then it seems to me that it is impossible to act righteously while angry. In that case, St John of Kronstadt advises that it is better NOT to act than to act in anger.

The is a problem with equivocation here. You seem to be defining anger as a sinful emotion or something. I disagree.
Anger is neither good nor evil by itself. It is simply like the other human emotions, joy, sadness, frustration. If it is rightly ordered then it is not a sin. This is obvious to me in parenting.I certainly do experience rightous anger although never while "overturning tables". That is where Christ's perfection was obvious.We all experience our fallen nature in our passions, that does not prove them bad.We are relentlessly call to humility through our lack of perfection. in peace

Do you believe it is possible to sin because you fail to get angry? This I think would clarify our conversation.

In peace,

Alexandr,

I have read somewhere, no where other than in America, do people commit evil so "innocently". Very scary, but true. And since your blood is boiling, how many may think you have an anger management problem?

Blessed is our GOD!
jody

The problem with anger is that it is like a drug -- it takes over the entire being and fills the heart with negativity. As a recent father once said, "It is impossible to be angry at just one person."

PS: I am not sure that when the Church uses the word "anger" we are describing an emotion, anymore than I am convinced that the terms "lust", "avarice" or "gluttony" refer to emotions.

PrJ,

I use the Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible.

It is clear to me that you and I did get a different message from Ecclesiates.

What I got out of Ecclesiates, very general terms here:

Detach yourself from the world, don't fall into the traps. Look to the things of GOD, those things not of this world. You cannot find fulfillment in this world. The world offers you folly. This world offers lots of allurements, but remember your deathbed and you will make better decisions and live for GOD.

When I am dying, am I really going to worry about the superficial items in my life or and I am going to be concerned at my OFFENSES against GOD? After all, I know the judgment is coming and now I remember all those times I thought of myself and I could have been thinking about GOD.

So if I remember the Four Last Things, death, judgment, hell and Heaven, I will live a different life. This is the peace we receive by living a life where GOD TAKES THE FIRST PLACE.

Blessed be our GOD!
jody

Lust, avarice and gluttony refer to vices. This is obvious. Yet we say Christ was angry. We do not say Christ was gluttinous or filled with avarice, afflicted with lust. He was like us in all ways but sin. Are you suggesting that Christ didn't experience anger?

We are way off topic here. This thread is now closed and the posters are welcome to continue this topic in the appropriate forum.

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+
Administrator